PROFILE OF MILITARY FAMILIES IN CANADA 2017 REGULAR FORCE DEMOGRAPHICS June 2018 PROFILE OF MILITARY FAMILIES IN CANADA 2017 REGULAR FORCE DEMOGRAPHICS Report Prepared By: Lynda Manser Deputy Director, Comprehensive Military Family Plan Senior Manager Strategic Program Development, Military Family Services Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services [email protected] Data for this demographic report were compiled by DCSAS using “Dependant” and “Organization” data extracts drawn from the Human Resources Management Systems (August 2017 data). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A special thank you is given to the team at Director Capability and Strategic Analysis Support Section who provided data and support for this document. CITATION INFORMATION Manser, L. (2018). Profile of Military Families in Canada: 2017 Regular Force Demographics. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services. Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services Department of National Defence / Government of Canada June 2018 Abstract To inform the development of the Comprehensive Military Family Plan as part of Canada’s Defence Policy, STRONG SECURE ENGAGED, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services collaborated with Director Capability and Strategic Analysis Support Section of Chief Force Development to accurately detail the demographics of Canadian military families. This report presents a synthesis of demographic information describing CAF Regular Force members, Reserve Force members, and their families (spouses, children and other dependants). It is intended to serve as a reference tool for professionals who develop policy or deliver programs and services to military members and families in the Canadian Armed Forces. The report focuses predominantly on Regular Force personnel and their families who are posted in Canada. Detailed demographic breakdowns of Regular Force families who are posted outside of Canada and Reserve Force families are covered under separate report. Data for this demographic report were compiled by Director Capability and Strategic Analysis Support using “Dependant” and “Organization” data extracts drawn from the Human Resources Management Systems (August 2017 data). This dataset was then used by the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services Comprehensive Military Family Plan team to analyse various military family personas by several different factors. “Dependant” is the term used by the Human Resources Management System to define any family member living with or supported by the CAF personnel. Dependant, therefore, includes spouse, children (including daughter, son, step-daughter, step-son, foster child under the age of 18 and over 18 if still considered dependent on the CAF personnel), and others (including a wide variety of family relations such as dependent parents, siblings, grandchildren, nieces/nephews, etc.). As of August 2017, there were 66,472 Regular Force personnel with 99,716 additional family dependants (spouses, children and other dependants). In the Reserve Force, there were 47,135 personnel with 38,398 additional family members and dependants. Of all Regular Force personnel, 85% are male and 15% are female. Almost half of all Regular Force personnel are single, with just more than half married or in a common-law relationship. For Regular Force personnel posted in Canada who are married / common-law, 84% of their spouses are female and 16% are male. In total, there are 37,052 spouses of Regular Force personnel. Almost half of all Regular Force personnel have dependent children. In total, there are 60,838 dependent children of Regular Force personnel. Of those Regular Force personnel posted in Canada who have one or more dependants (including spouse), a higher percentage of female Regular Force members were single (18%) or part of a dual service couple (53%) than their male counterparts (11% and 9% respectively). Of all Regular Force personnel and dependants, 95% are posted in Canada, and 5% are posted outside of Canada. For Reserve Force, only 1% of all personnel and their family members and dependants are posted outside Canada. i Almost 40% of all Regular Force personnel posted in Canada live in Ontario with their families. As a percentage of the total provincial population, Nova Scotia has the highest percentage of military family members (2% of total population). One-third of all Regular Force personnel posted in Canada and their families are located in or near CFSU Ottawa, CFB Halifax and 2 CDSB Valcartier. More than half of all Regular Force personnel posted in Canada are under the age of 35 or have served 10 years or less. Less than half of all spouses are under the age of 34. One-third of all children are under the age of 5, one-third are between the ages of 6-12, and one-third are 13 years and over. Demographic profiles are detailed for various family personas including the single member without any dependants, new families with children under 5 years of age, middle families with children aged 6-12, mature families with dependent youth aged 13-25, single parents and dual serving couples. Limited data are available for couples without children, same sex couples, families who have children with special needs, and those families who have dependent elderly parents. Single Regular Force members posted in Canada without dependants are younger (38% are under the age of 24) with less than 5 years of service (59%). Regular Force personnel posted in Canada between the ages of 30-34 have the highest percentage of children under the age of 5 and have served between 6-15 years. Those between the ages of 35-39 have the highest percentage of children aged 6-12 and have served 11-15 years. Those with dependent youth aged 13-25 are most frequently between the ages of 45-49 with 26-30 years served. A higher proportion of female Regular Force members posted in Canada are single parents (24% of all single parents), caring for a disabled child (28% of all those who have declared a disabled child) and are caring for elderly parents (24% of all those who declared a dependent parent) compared to the total Regular Force proportional female to male ratio (15% female to 85% male). There are some limitations to the data in this report, detailed in the Guidelines for Interpretation section, which should be considered when referencing this data. Finally, recommendations are provided for future demographic data collection and analysis and for policy and program implications. ii Résumé Pour guider l’élaboration du Plan global pour les familles des militaires – l’une des initiatives de la politique de défense PROTECTION, SÉCURITÉ, ENGAGEMENT –, les Services de bien-être et moral des Forces canadiennes (SBMFC) ont collaboré avec la section de soutien de l’analyse stratégique du Chef – Développement de la force pour dresser un portrait détaillé des caractéristiques sociodémographiques des familles des militaires canadiens. Le présent résumé fournit une synthèse des caractéristiques sociodémographiques des membres de la Force régulière et de la Force de réserve des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC), ainsi que de leur famille (conjoint, enfants et autres personnes à charge). Il a été préparé en vue de servir d’outil de référence aux professionnels responsables de l’élaboration de politiques, de l’exécution de programmes et de la prestation de services à l’intention des membres des FAC et de leur famille. Il se concentre principalement sur les membres de la Force régulière affectés au Canada et leur famille. Les données détaillées pour les familles des membres de la Force régulière affectés à l’extérieur du Canada et les familles des membres de la Force de réserve sont fournies dans un rapport distinct. Le Directeur – Soutien à l’analyse des capacités et de la structure a compilé les résultats qui suivent à partir des données figurant sous « Personne à charge » et « Organisation » dans le Système de gestion des ressources humaines (SGRH) en date d’août 2017. L’équipe du Plan global pour les familles des militaires des SBMFC s’est fondée sur ces résultats pour analyser divers profils familiaux en fonction d’une gamme de différents facteurs. Le terme « Personne à charge » est utilisé dans le SGRH pour désigner tout membre d’une famille qui vit avec ou aux dépens d’un membre des FAC. Il peut ainsi désigner un conjoint, un enfant (fille, fils, belle-fille, beau- fils ou enfant accueilli âgé de moins de 18 ans ou de 18 ans ou plus s’il demeure aux dépens du membre des FAC) ou une autre personne (père, mère, frère, sœur, petite-fille, petit-fils, nièce, neveu, etc.). En août 2017, 66 472 membres de la Force régulière et 47 135 membres de la Force de réserve vivaient avec d’autres membres de leur famille ou personnes à charge (conjoints, enfants et autres personnes à charge). Ils partageaient ainsi leur foyer avec 99 716 et 38 398 personnes, respectivement. La Force régulière est composée à 85 % d’hommes et à 15 % de femmes. Près de la moitié des membres de la Force régulière sont célibataires et à peine plus de la moitié sont mariés ou vivent en union de fait. Parmi les conjoints des membres de la Force régulière mariés ou vivant en union de fait qui sont affectés au Canada, 84 % sont des femmes et 16 % sont des hommes. Le nombre total de conjoints des membres de la Force régulière s’élève à 37 052. Près de la moitié des membres de la Force régulière ont des enfants à leur charge. Au total, on dénombre 60 838 enfants à la charge de membres de la Force régulière. De tous les membres de la Force régulière affectés au Canada ayant au moins une personne à charge (incluant leur conjoint), les femmes étaient plus nombreuses que les hommes à être célibataires (18 % contre 11 %) ou à être en couple avec un autre militaire (53 % contre 9 %). De tous les membres de la Force régulière et de leurs personnes à charge, 95 % résident au Canada et 5 % à l’étranger.